Welcome to what will become another trilogy. From the authors of @tkwrtrilogy and @thehouseofdurin comes “The Secret of the House of Bourbon”. It has already found a home on InstagramandWordPress (as well as Facebook), now it comes to Tumblr.
But wait, there’s more: This story cover 197 years of the Bourbon Dynasty–from its “humble” beginnings with Antoine de Bourbon to the height of its majesty with Louis XIV.
Not only do you get to visit Versailles again, you get see it how it all began–from the hunting grounds to golden palace it became–and there are secrets that have been left untold (no, really, we’re not trying to be dramatic).
See something you like? Well, I can say one thing–I get to be the king of France (like I was Thranduil and soon-to-be Oropher in @tkwrtrilogy3) and the generations of the ruling Kings of Dale in @oflordsandkingstkwrtbook (that’s me, too). @fortunatelyclevercandy makes her debut as my brothers, (Duc d’Orléans–Gaston and everyone’s favorite, Philippe de France). As always, I am beginning in the middle of the book as Louis XIII, father of Louis XIV and Philippe. I have already started over on WordPress and I am about to add more (to both trilogies).
You’ll be surprised about what you DON’T know about Louis XIII.
After Louis XIII, I will be Louis XIV. Yes, you’ll be surprised about what you DON’T know about him, too.
AndMANY,many, many, many, many, many more exciting things about the Kings of France and Navarre (which actually ceased to exist around 1620 but that’s another story altogether ).
So, sit back and relax and read a lot of things in multiple languages (as my co-author will be writing in her native Italian and probably some English and I will be writing in my native English and in my third language which just so happens to French).
(Yes, there are even things you don’t know about Philippe, Monsieur, Duc d’Orléans–lots. ).
Welcome to the Kingdom of France–Again.
MyFrance, of course.
Another trilogy, another kingdom. This is going to be fun.
As Alexandre became my servant, I became servant to my parents. It began simply enough—I was given a napkin to hand to my father at dinner. Soon enough, I was serving both my mother and my father regularly.
One particular morning, I ushered into my mother’s chambers and handed her chemise. I stood there for a moment wondering what to do.
“Kiss it,” I was told. “And hand it to Her Majesty.”
I looked at my mother. She glared at me impatiently waiting for me to fulfill my duty to her. I promptly did what I was commanded and her face softened, much to my relief. Not long thereafter, I was delivering her napkin at dinner as well.
I knew I was above all those that served the King and Queen—my parents. I was the heir to the throne of the Kingdom of France; how dare they? I knew I should not be subjected to such menial responsibilities. I felt there were no lessons to be learned in serving the self-serving so began to object to my parents’ life lessons.
It was winter when I first stood up against my lot in life. I had begun to grow weary of subservience. I realized that my father held little regard to my knowledge of my status in life. I knew he thought I was too young to know I was the son of the king and I felt it my duty to remind him.
It was one evening in December when I was once again called to my duties as servant to the table of my father. I adamantly refused. I was promptly shown to my father’s table.
“What is this,” he asked me. “Why are you not about your duties to your father?”
“No,” I said, my arms folded across my chest. “I do not want to.”
“But I am the master,” he answered. “And you, you are my valet.”
“I am not your valet,” I said. “I am your son.”
“Would a son refuse to serve his father,” he asked. “And are you not the son of the king, Louis?”
I looked around to see everyone watching. My mother’s expression was one of disapproval—and in my youth, I could not tell with whom she was more disappointed. Finally, I gave up my futile mission. In surrender, I unfolded my arms and sighed.
“Now,” my father began. “Who are you?”
“I am Papa’s little valet,” I said softly.
My father smiled triumphantly as I handed him his napkin. Defeated, I turned slowly walked away. It would not be the last time I would give in to the power of my father but in my defeat, I would grow stronger.–The Secret of the House of Bourbon–XIII by Jaynaé Marie Miller. 05-10-2021
Life in the quart of Henri IV is not always what it appears.
